Die Welt als Sound – mit Peter Licht

Peter Licht, a German musician, author, and playwright, appears as a guest on the 82nd episode of the "Fantasiemuskel" podcast, where he discusses his view of the world as a sound phenomenon. He reflects on his 2006 song "Lied vom Ende des Kapitalismus," which preceded the 2008 financial crisis, and explores how language, fear, and utopian moments manifest through sound in his work—whether in pop songs, theater pieces, or novels. Licht also describes a recent "problem-solving show" at Schauspiel Köln, where audience members submit problems that are collectively sung, turning singing into an act of resistance and community-building.

The Biennale Must Remain Open – Also for Russia

Die Biennale muss offen bleiben – auch für Russland

The article argues against calls to exclude Russia from the Venice Biennale, focusing on the controversy surrounding the Russian pavilion's planned exhibition titled "Der Baum ist im Himmel verwurzelt" (The Tree Is Rooted in Heaven). The pavilion is set to feature musicians from Russia, Argentina, Mali, and Mexico, and its theme revolves around the idea that politics is time-bound. The author contends that while the demand to exclude Russia is understandable given the geopolitical context, it is dangerous because once a biennial begins disinviting states, it undermines the very concept of the international exhibition.

Artspace Gallery Announces a Juried Art Exhibition: 250 Years of Expression: Freedom, Dissent and the American Voice

Artspace Gallery in Richmond, Virginia, has announced a juried art exhibition titled "250 Years of Expression: Freedom, Dissent and the American Voice," running from May 22 to July 18, 2026. The show features over 30 artworks in video, photography, sculpture, and mixed media, selected by juror Diego Sanchez, an artist and educator. An opening reception and juror talk will take place on May 22, with a Fourth Friday reception on June 26. Concurrently, the gallery will present "Of, By, For," an exhibition of works from Artspace artists' studios in the Elisabeth Flynn Chapman Gallery.

Mythical Creatures at the Met Cloisters

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will present "Creatures of Myth and Imagination: Europe and the Americas" at the Met Cloisters from May 18 to October 18, 2026. The exhibition explores hybrid mythical beings in visual arts from 500 to 1500 CE, featuring over 50 objects including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, ivories, textiles, and metalwork drawn mainly from the Met collection. It marks the first time ancient American art will be shown at the Met Cloisters, with key loans from the Museo del Templo Mayor in Mexico City, including a never-before-seen-in-New-York sculpture of the Zapotec "bat lord."

Exhibition | Lin Zhipeng, 'LIN ZHIPENG (NO. 223): Relationship Duplicates' at DE SARTHE, Hong Kong

DE SARTHE gallery in Hong Kong presents 'Relationship Duplicates', the second solo exhibition by Beijing-based photographer Lin Zhipeng (No.223). The show, on view from May 16 to June 27, explores the tactile, intimate dimensions of human relationships through large-scale photoprints, a smartphone installation, and curated collages. Lin redefines 'duplicates' as supplements that extend relationships rather than mere copies, using nudity and physicality to counter the alienation of digital connectivity.

Public Tour | Graduation Weekend Tour: Looking Back Toward the Future

The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis is hosting a public tour on May 14, 2026, as part of its Graduation Weekend programming. The tour will explore the exhibition "Looking Back Toward the Future: Contemporary Photography from China," which features over forty large-scale photographs by fourteen Chinese artists created between 1993 and 2006. The exhibition is organized into three thematic sections—The Presence of the Past, East and West, and Performance and the Body—examining how artists used photography and performance to critique China's post-1989 sociopolitical and cultural shifts. This is the first time these works are on view at the museum, and they represent a significant recent addition to its contemporary Chinese art collection.

Mennello Museum’s 'Our Orlando' group show returns, featuring three innovative local artists

The Mennello Museum in Loch Haven, Orlando, has launched the fourth edition of its 'Our Orlando' group exhibition, featuring three local artists: Tasanee Durrett, Mado Smith, and Martha Jo Mahoney. The show, curated by museum director Shannon Fitzgerald and co-curator Flynn Dobbs, includes four works each by Durrett and Mahoney and two by Smith, drawn from studio visits. The exhibition runs through late August with an opening reception on Friday.

Reconnecting with the Handmade: The Hart Gallery’s Ampersand student art exhibit

William & Mary students showcased their handmade artworks in the Hart Gallery's "Handmade" exhibit, held in conjunction with the Ampersand International Arts Festival. Curated by alumna Zara Fina Stasi '12, a Richmond-based artist and founder of Good for the Bees, the multimedia exhibition featured approximately a dozen student submissions including assemblage, collage, sculpture, sewn hangings, and traditional painting. Student curators Gibran Adnan '27 and Rebecca Graber '27 collaborated with Stasi to select and install the works, which explored themes of experimentation, self-expression, and the human process of creating by hand.

Studio Sessions: Raili Jänese

Artist Raili Jänese, an Estonian-born painter now based in Kirkland, Washington, creates colorful acrylic works that capture everyday human and animal behaviors with humor and tenderness. Her practice, which began after a corporate career, focuses on observation of mundane moments—people eating, drinking coffee, riding transit, and animals in urban settings. Her upcoming solo exhibition, "E.L.U," will be on view at Ryan James Fine Arts from May 1–31, 2025, with a Gallery Night on May 22. Jänese has shown work regionally at venues including Happy Time Studio Gallery, Oxbow Montlake, and the Seattle Art Fair, and has completed public art projects in Bellevue, Kent, Kirkland, and Seattle.

Exhibition | Vio Choe, 'Time Interface' at The Page Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

Artist Vio Choe has opened a solo exhibition titled 'Time Interface' at The Page Gallery in Seoul, South Korea. The exhibition features paintings that Choe describes as an attempt to express energy perceived through unconsciousness, aiming to communicate with viewers on a sensory, non-verbal level.

Dodgers-themed art exhibit titled DOUBLEPLAY opens at Eastern Projects Gallery in Chinatown

A new art exhibit titled DOUBLEPLAY has opened at Eastern Projects Gallery in Los Angeles' Chinatown, featuring Dodgers-themed works by artists Billy Kheel and Pat Riot. The show includes Riot's bubble-gum portraits and Kheel's hand-sewn felt tapestries, celebrating Dodgers culture and sports history. The exhibition runs through November 22, 2025, timed to coincide with the World Series.

Alexandria Artist Shines in Prestigious Regional Female Art Exhibition

The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery in Washington, D.C. hosted the opening night of "Women Artists of the DMV," a major regional exhibition featuring over 550 female artists selected from more than 4,000 applicants. The show, curated by Florencio Lennox (Lenny) Campello, spans 18 venues across DC, Maryland, and Virginia through fall 2025. Alexandria artist Amy Perlman Gura is among the participants, with her silkscreen print "Woman of Valor with Redbud" displayed at the Hisaoka Gallery. Gura's work is inspired by her grandfather's painting and her late mother, connecting to the gallery's healing mission.

How this artist finds sci-fi inspiration in bamboo scaffolding

Freddy Carrasco, a Canadian artist of Dominican heritage based in Japan, is preparing for his first Hong Kong exhibition titled "Return to Nothing" at WKM Gallery in Wong Chuk Hang, running until August 2. The show features paintings and sculptures inspired by the bamboo scaffolding and grid-like structures he observes from his studio window in Tsim Sha Tsui, which he likens to a tesseract—a four-dimensional cube representing space and time. Carrasco's work explores themes of existence, death, religion, and transformation, often depicting abstract black figures suspended in grids, hands in worship, or empty forms suggesting portals between dimensions. He is in Hong Kong on a visiting artist residency with Side Space, supported by Matt Chung, Alex Chan of The Shophouse, and William Kayne Mukai of WKM Gallery.

Homecoming exhibition for famed Teignmouth artist

Ian Nathan, a British artist from Teignmouth, will hold a homecoming exhibition at Teignmouth Arts Action Group (TAAG) from July 19 to August 1. The show features 35 new paintings spanning wildlife, local scenes, and semi-abstract seascapes, marking his return to the town where he once ran a gallery in the early 2000s.

The week around the world in 20 pictures

The Guardian's weekly photo feature presents a global visual summary of the past seven days, compiled by leading photojournalists. The selection includes powerful and sometimes distressing images covering major international events, from the ongoing crisis in the Middle East and a Russian drone attack in Kharkiv to a Saharan dust storm in Crete and the launch of NASA's Artemis II mission.

Introducing the Intelligence Report: The Year Ahead 2026

The art auction market showed signs of recovery in 2025, with total sales increasing for the first time since 2021, driven by a strong late-season surge in New York. The U.K. market grew by 11.3%, aided by major sales like the $136 million dispersal of Pauline Karpidas's Surrealist collection, while the ultra-contemporary sector declined for a fourth year as investment flowed to established Impressionist and Modern works.

UK artist defends pro-Palestine drawings after show cancellation

UK artist Matthew Collings has condemned the cancellation of his art exhibition "Drawings Against Genocide" in Margate, England, after UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) accused the show of being antisemitic. The exhibit featured 130 drawings depicting Israeli military, political officials, and business leaders, which Collings describes as artistic metaphors for Zionism, brutality, and violence. Collings insists the work is against genocide, not against Jews, and criticizes the conflation of antisemitism with pro-Palestine activism.

World Cup timing perfect for 'Kinetic Energy' exhibition, where 14 artists transform sports into art

The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, in partnership with the Palm Beach Sports Commission, has opened "Kinetic Energy," an exhibition at the Cultural Council headquarters in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. The show features 14 Palm Beach County-based artists and over 25 works in various mediums, exploring the power and grace of sports. It runs through June 12 and is free to the public, timed to coincide with the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026.

New Providence Artist Zenia Olesnyckyj Opens "Impressions of Alaska" Exhibition at Summit Free Public Library

Artist Zenia Olesnyckyj is presenting her exhibition "Impressions of Alaska" at the Gallery at the Summit Free Public Library from May 1 to June 30, 2026. The show features twenty mixed-media works inspired by the Alaskan landscape and the art of the Tlingit people, aiming to capture the grandeur and intimacy of the region through texture and color.

SOPAC Announces Farida Sherif as 2026 Paul Bartick Emerging Artist Award Recipient

The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) has named Farida Sherif, a senior at Verona High School, as the recipient of its 2026 Paul Bartick Emerging Artist Award. Sherif was selected by an award committee for the strength, individuality, and compelling voice of her work, which she developed through SOPAC's Inspired Minds Young Artist Exhibition program. She will receive the award at a gallery opening reception on May 14, 2026.

Wicked Stepmother No Longer, a Female Pharoah Gets a Reputational Makeover

A new analysis of damaged statues from ancient Egypt is reshaping the historical narrative of Queen Hatshepsut. Researchers have re-examined 3,500-year-old statuary, finding evidence that the deliberate defacement of her images occurred decades after her death, challenging the long-held belief that her successor, Thutmose III, orchestrated an immediate campaign of destruction against her legacy out of personal animosity.

House Adopts Bill to Ease Recovery by Heirs of Nazi Looted Art

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to extend the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, which was set to expire at the end of the year. The Senate had already approved the extension, and the legislation now awaits the President's signature to become law.

From Mallorca to St. Moritz, Art Fairs Are Meeting Collectors Where They Vacation

A new wave of high-end art fairs is targeting luxury vacation destinations like St. Moritz, Mallorca, and the Hamptons, moving beyond traditional market hubs. These events, such as the inaugural St. Moritz Art Week and Art on the Island in Mallorca, are strategically timed for the summer and winter holiday seasons to directly engage wealthy collectors during their leisure time.

DENMARK S PAVILION AT VENICE BIENNALE EXAMINES PORNOGRAPHY SCIENCE AND HUMAN REPRODUCTION

The Danish Arts Foundation has opened 'Things To Come', an exhibition by Danish artist Maja Malou Lyse at the Danish Pavilion in the Giardini, Venice, as part of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Curated by Chus Martínez, the show runs until November 22, 2026, and features a film developed with the collective DIS, shot in a real sperm bank and special effects studio, alongside an installation titled 'Stars in My Pocket' that incorporates cryogenic fertility bank boxes and online 'sperm races' clips. The exhibition title references H.G. Wells' 'The Shape of Things to Come' and draws on scientific studies linking virtual sexual stimuli to increased sperm motility.

A Milano c’è la prima mostra omaggio all’artista Giovanni Campus dopo la morte

BUILDING Gallery in Milan has opened "Tempo e passione," the first posthumous exhibition dedicated to Giovanni Campus (1929–2025), who died less than five months ago at nearly 100 years old. Curated by Marco Meneguzzo, the two-floor show spans Campus’s career from his Sardinian roots to his Milanese performances, featuring works that measure space using materials like springs and cords, alongside vintage video documentation of his actions in Piazza Palazzo Reale and Sardinia.

Looking for art, culture? See the latest Central Illinois exhibits

Central Illinois is hosting a diverse array of art and cultural exhibitions across several key institutions and galleries this spring. Highlights include the "Art on the Offense" group show at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, the "Lights, Camera, Fashion!" exhibition featuring the Lois Jett Historical Fashion Collection, and multiple annual student showcases at University Galleries and Merwin & Wakeley Galleries. Local spaces like the McLean County Arts Center and Eaton Studio Gallery are also actively engaging the community through regional artist spotlights and educational outreach for local students.

London artist Irum Rahat’s ‘Yeh Kab Ki Baat Hai’ is a house full of memories

London-based artist Irum Rahat presents her first solo exhibition in India, 'Yeh Kab Ki Baat Hai', at Pristine Contemporary in Delhi. The show features 16 new works that draw from her upbringing in a South Asian household, transforming mundane domestic scenes—making chai, sitting in rooms, family interactions—into a visual archive of memory and intimacy. Rahat's paintings, influenced by cinema and her own photography, use soft, hazy colors to evoke nostalgia and the ambiguity of time.

South Coast Artists exhibition brings 112 works to Gallery X

The 2026 Members’ Invitational Exhibition organized by South Coast Artists Inc. is now on view at Gallery X in New Bedford, Massachusetts, through May 16. The show features 112 works by 61 artists selected from nearly 200 active members, spanning media such as photography, fiber, encaustic, porcelain, cyanotype, pastel, acrylic, oil, watercolor, mixed media, printmaking, digital art on metal, and found-object assemblages. Awards were presented at the opening reception on April 25, with first place going to Dot Bergen, second to Serena Parente Charlebois, and third to Robert Abele; juror’s choice awards were given to Diana Azevedo-Carns, Lindsey Epstein, and Heather Stivison, selected by independent juror Catherine Carter.

Sands China Celebrates Grand Opening at Hong Kong's Art Central

Sands China has officially debuted its Sands Gallery booth at Art Central 2026, Hong Kong's prominent international art fair. The exhibition features contemporary works by three emerging Macao artists—Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou, and Dor Lio Hak Man—paired with historical artifacts from the Iec Long Firecracker Factory. This marks the first time a Macao integrated resort operator has participated as an Associate Partner at the fair, signaling a significant push to elevate Macao's local art scene on a global stage.

Martin Lister obituary

Martin Lister, a writer, teacher, and scholar of photography and new media, has died at age 78. He was a key figure in the study of how technology intersects with cultural ways of seeing, editing the influential book *The Photographic Image in Digital Culture* (1995) and co-authoring *New Media: A Critical Introduction* (2003). Lister served as head of the school of cultural studies at the University of the West of England (UWE) and taught at institutions including Cockpit Arts Workshop and Newport College of Art and Design.